But I didn't calculate this before deciding on 37. Rh6+!, and instead found myself working out the endgame win after 40. Qxg3 Kxg3 41. f6 . This longer route wins, but it's frustrating not seeing 40. Qc7+! four moves ahead.

Memethecat: <Lamdba> Yes, but in that case 37.Bxd5 is a simple win too.
I understand how <patzer2> feels, these puzzles are about improving your visualization and tactical ability. I only get that warm feeling of satisfaction when I've seen all there is to see.

paulalbert: I didn't see the much better Qc7+ variation either in my calculations; saw that the Qxg3+ variation leads to an easily won endgame so that was all I needed to go with Rh6+ in the puzzle position. Would I have seen it had we gotten to the actual position while playing? I hope so, but easy to get fixated on a clearly winning line without looking further; from what I see in GMs' annotations of their own games, it happens to them too, and then some amateur shows them a better move after the game is over. It's hard to follow Emanuel Lasker's admonition: See a good move, stop, look for a better one!

Cheapo by the Dozen: White is two pawns up, but has difficulty stopping mate. And 37 Rg6, which does stop most of the mate threats, allows perpetual check. So something forcing is needed. And that would be:

37 Rh6+ Kxh6
38 Qh8+ Rh7
39 Qf6+ Kh5
40 Bd1+ (Black cries)

I see one serious try for Black to deviate, namely via 38 ... Kg5, but that leads to:

beenthere240: If all you see when facing move 36 is the combination ending with 40. Qxg3 and an easily won endgame, then you can start with 36. Rxh6+ with confidence. However you can still check each move before you make it and I'll be OTB you'll find 40. Qc7+ then. The best of these puzzles are like studies in that the deeper you look into them, the more you can discover.

Phony Benoni: Got a little more information. White is <Anthony Dod>, player, problem composer and a long-time member of the Liverpool Chess Club beginning in 1887/88.

The game was played in the third annual match between the Northern Counties Chess Assocatioin and the Scottish Chess Associatioin, held May 30, 1903, at Ferguson & Forrester's Restaurant, 129 Princess Street, Edinburgh. (British Chess Magazine, 1903, p.309).

Dod's opponent was no slouch. Mills was an eight-time Scottish Championn. To be paired up with him, Dod must have had a decent reputation.

Cheapo by the Dozen: Wait -- let me amend that. I care because somebody showed me a better move, and better yet it was a cool one. :) But we can feel we solved the puzzle w/o seeing the best win in every future position.

Also an improvement over the game would have been:
>/= 26.Nf4 Qxe4; 27.Ne6 Rf7; 28.Nxd8 Rg7; 29.Qh3 ± , (adv./White)
when - again - the first player is clearly better. - Fritz 13. ]

26...Rf7 ▢; 27.Rg3+!?, (hmmm)

This move is a natural follow-up to the Rc3 idea, but White actually had a superior move to Rg3.
(See the analysis - just below. If this is true, then the question begs itself - why is the capture on d5 superior to the rook-check on g3? I think the answer is that White wants the B♖ on f7, as it is a target to attack.)

Play so far has balanced itself out, Black has a slight material advantage, while White has much better piece play.

Now Black should play his Rook to h7, when Qf4, Qc7; is essentially a balanced position.

29...Qf7?; 30.Nf4 Rc8!?; 31.h3 Bc6!?; 32.Nh5 Rf8[];

Black's last move was forced.

Now ♘x♖/g7, followed by Qf4 ( ) is a simple win for the first player.
(After 33.Re6!?, Black should play 33...Rh7[]. Then White missed 34.Re4!, with an overwhelming game; Dod would have had the threat of NxR/g7, to be followed by Rg4, winning Black's Queen.)

33.Re6!? Qc7?; 34.Nxf6+? Rxf6; 35.Qxf6 Qg3?; ('??')

This looked great, as Black threatened a mate-in-one on the g2-square ... but it fails to a simple combination.

[ Better was: >/= 35...Qf4▢; but then White plays: 36.Re1 ,
and the first player is much better, and probably winning, but this is still superior to what occurred in the game. ]

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